We put in about 8 acres of NWSG 6 or 7 years back. Cannot say they have been a boom for deer hunting, but its nice to have the different habitat on the place and feeling like we are turning things back in time a bit. We disked those 8 acres using our ATV disc, a lot of work. A guy a few miles away did his with a drill a couple of years ago and his got to a point in two years that took us probably 4 years to get too. We frost seeded another three acres three years ago and those have turned out pretty well, but we used some switch grass with the mix and that may be why.

Are you talking with Kendall at the MO. DNR about the NWSG? If not, at the very least see if he will not lend you the departments spreader when it comes time to plant. They have an ATV mounted one and a handheld one. NWSG seeds do not spread well through a regular seeder - using one designed for them makes the job much easier. You could probably pick it up from him in either Bethany or Albany, MO.

“There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace.” Aldo Leopold

I think I heard of an equiptment loaner program here in Ohio. I will have to check on that, and see what is avalible for my place. All woods with small open areas, 9 acreas total. small area. Any ideas on what to plant to draw in the deer? I am already growing oak trees in pots to plant there, but they take about 20 years to fully mature and produce. How well does clover do in the shade?

The only real difference between a good tracker and a bad tracker is observation. All the same data is present for both. The rest is understanding what you are seeing.

ranwin33 wrote:Are you talking with Kendall at the MO. DNR about the NWSG?

I had Kendall walk my place in 2003 and to be honest he wasn't much help to me.

I've been working with a private guy named Travis Strable, out of St. Charles, IA. He's awesome and very reasonably priced. All consultations are free and his bids for a day's worth of expert TSI or prairie restoration are far cheaper than if I tried to DIY it. I've been very pleased with his work.

Love your ideas. That's the type of gym/ training center I would actually go to. Sure beats going to my farm every 2 weeks to shoot my bow. Good friends, some liquid refreshment and working up a good sweat, I'm in, just open one in Northern Kentucky.

DBogie59 wrote:Love your ideas. That's the type of gym/ training center I would actually go to. Sure beats going to my farm every 2 weeks to shoot my bow. Good friends, some liquid refreshment and working up a good sweat, I'm in, just open one in Northern Kentucky.

You boys know your refreshments! Honestly, this would be a dream gig, but who's got that kind of capitol?

Two methods come to mind. A very wealty hunter as a benifactor (someone like uncle Ted) , or selling shares to fellow hunters. (us) Unless you think you could swing a grant from Obama? We could bill it as a power station, and advertize how green it is. We could hook up the treadmills to the TV screens, and the lighting. Use solar cells and passive solar heating on all the roof structures, Build in a lot of the more green lighting like LED lighting, or fiber optics, If we produce more power than we consume, some states buy back the excess power like in California. Other states, the best you can hope for is a zero bill. Sposership in the form of materials is a possibility as well, such as the type of windows, or security system are to be installed. They are now making windows that produce power from the sun as a solar cell. Perhaps the manufacturer would like to see his product in use and in the public eye? Good for HIS business. Manufactures compete for large jobs, and the publicity is good for them as well. The sancuary area of the hunting grounds might qualify for a tax abatement as a game reserve , like they do for our local airport, and There might be grants available for other types of alternative power, such as windmills, geo-thermal, or flex-fuel. Bio-desiel, natural gas or oil might also be a possibilty and compost could also be a side-line and turn a waste into cash. Possibilities do exist. ,,,,Then of course, we have the weapons and the booze. Do you prefer a house brand, a competeing variety, or micro-brews? Factory reps for arms, or order off a menu, with samples to play with on the range? Think about how many hunters, and outdoor enthusiests this would attract.

The only real difference between a good tracker and a bad tracker is observation. All the same data is present for both. The rest is understanding what you are seeing.

ranwin33 wrote:I had Kendall walk my place in 2003 and to be honest he wasn't much help to me.

I've been working with a private guy named Travis Strable, out of St. Charles, IA. He's awesome and very reasonably priced. All consultations are free and his bids for a day's worth of expert TSI or prairie restoration are far cheaper than if I tried to DIY it. I've been very pleased with his work.

He is not the best is he - the guy before him was great but he moved on to the Princeton area. But using him might get you cost share money if your guy from Iowa is signed up with MO. DNR.

“There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace.” Aldo Leopold

kellory wrote:I think I heard of an equiptment loaner program here in Ohio. I will have to check on that, and see what is avalible for my place. All woods with small open areas, 9 acreas total. small area. Any ideas on what to plant to draw in the deer? I am already growing oak trees in pots to plant there, but they take about 20 years to fully mature and produce. How well does clover do in the shade?

I have never had much luck planting clover in the shade, but clover would be my crop of choice if I had only one to choose from. Fruit trees are a good option - here in KS our local Home Depot usually overbuys and we can get 6-7 foot trees for around ten dollars each in October. But even at a cost of $25 a tree or so, you can have a small orchard for a couple of hundred dollars and most likely something different than anything else in the area. I find different tends to attract deer. Problem with trees is you do have to keep them protected and they will need sunlight. But with a fruit tree you could be getting some crop in a couple of years if you get good rain and keep them fertilized.

On 9 acres I would put in a quarter acre clearing along some place where it appears deer trail converge or in a place that appears to be a staging area. Might be a lot of tree cutting but it could be effective. Make it a half acre and put in the fruit trees. Our best kill plot is about a quarter acre at the highest point on our property - it was an old log landing so was partially cleared when we got there. But it also has three ridge lines converging on it, and the north side slopes off into major agricultural fields about an 300 yards away.

“There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace.” Aldo Leopold

kellory wrote:I think I heard of an equiptment loaner program here in Ohio. I will have to check on that, and see what is avalible for my place. All woods with small open areas, 9 acreas total. small area. Any ideas on what to plant to draw in the deer? I am already growing oak trees in pots to plant there, but they take about 20 years to fully mature and produce. How well does clover do in the shade?

I have never had much luck planting clover in the shade, but clover would be my crop of choice if I had only one to choose from. Fruit trees are a good option - here in KS our local Home Depot usually overbuys and we can get 6-7 foot trees for around ten dollars each in October. But even at a cost of $25 a tree or so, you can have a small orchard for a couple of hundred dollars and most likely something different than anything else in the area. I find different tends to attract deer. Problem with trees is you do have to keep them protected and they will need sunlight. But with a fruit tree you could be getting some crop in a couple of years if you get good rain and keep them fertilized.

On 9 acres I would put in a quarter acre clearing along some place where it appears deer trail converge or in a place that appears to be a staging area. Might be a lot of tree cutting but it could be effective. Make it a half acre and put in the fruit trees. Our best kill plot is about a quarter acre at the highest point on our property - it was an old log landing so was partially cleared when we got there. But it also has three ridge lines converging on it, and the north side slopes off into major agricultural fields about an 300 yards away.

I already tried apples from seeds, and they never sprouted, I will try again with saplings. Top of the hill was where I planted them, in the largest clearing with the best light. I didn't test the soil, I don't know much about planting, other than the basics. Should I add something to the trees when they are planted or later? I am a novice on growing things. I have tried corn at the same spot, with no luck either.

The only real difference between a good tracker and a bad tracker is observation. All the same data is present for both. The rest is understanding what you are seeing.